DIVING DESTINATIONS

Below is a list of dive sites that I have personally been to. The descriptions of these sites are my personal opinion. If you are curious about a site, I encourage you to check it out for yourself and form your own opinion. I will start by listing the FL Springs and branch out from there.

Click on the name of each location to learn more!

Blue Grotto

Many divers get their OW certification here. It's a small spring with a cavern and not really a whole lot to see and gets very busy with dive instructors and their students. If you go, make sure you say hello to Virgil, the resident turtle!

Devil's Den

Devil's Den is gorgeous and a must see if you're in the area! There is a long steep stairway you will have to navigate with your gear on. It gets crowded with other divers and snorkelers so arriving at opening is best. It's a bit small and not a ton to see underwater. The limestone is definitely neat and it can be an excellent dive for beginners. The view coming down the stairs is the best part in my opinion.

Ginnie Springs

Ginnie Springs is beautiful and lots to see and do. I haven't dove here yet but I have tubed and snorkeled. This is a popular spot for cave divers. I plan to check out the ballroom at some point but I have heard mixed opinions on how good the non cave diving is... we went on a weekend and it was PACKED with tubers. Most were drunk college kids swinging off of ropes into the water and many people had floating speakers they had blasting music. It was definitely a party on the water. If you do not like this type of atmosphere and want to check out Ginnie Springs, I would definitely aim to come during the week.

Ichetucknee Springs

I have not dove here but I have snorkeled and tubed so I wanted to add it to the list. The river you tube on is really pretty and much quieter than Ginnie Springs. I feel like you get to see more nature here. There are two spring holes where you can swim. Once is pictured below is gorgeous, here you can only snorkel. At the blue hole you can also snorkel. You can only scuba dive in the blue hole if you are cave certified.

Little River Springs

This spring was beautiful. Crystal clear with lots of fish to look at. It was extremely shallow so we spent most of the time on top of the water (might as well snorkel). There is a cave system there and that is what attracts divers. I am not a cave diver so this location would be better for snorkeling or maybe a new diver wanting to get just their feet wet.

Paradise Springs

This is a cavern/cave dive. There is a line that leads down to the cave and the entire dive is an overhead environment. It is a beautiful dive. Water temp is a constant 72º and there are fossils embedded in the walls - tons of fossilized sand dollars and there's even a giant whale bone! You will definitely need to bring lights for this dive. There aren't many fish to look at but we did spot a cat fish and what appeared to be a large pleco from an aquarium. This dive site is on private property so you must make reservations and check in with the home owners to pay a fee before the dive.

Rainbow River Springs

This dive is so beautiful. It's drift dive where you take a water taxi down the river and ride the current up. (On weekdays you must have reservations with the water taxi in advance and he only accepts cash!). The sun hits the water and rocks just right making beautiful rainbows all around you. The sea grass and lime green algae are gorgeous on this dive. There's lots of turtles and spotted gar to see. This is one of my favorite spring dives!

Royal Springs

This spring is small if you're not a cave diver. Unfortunately the river washed out the spring and there was no visibility the day I attempted it. Check out the dive shop listed in the Troy Springs write up to check for visibility conditions before heading out. I have heard that if you call Diver's Outpost they can provide a visibility report before you head out. We will give that a try next time!

Troy Springs

I was excited to check out Troy Springs and the wreck, Madison that's there. Unfortunately the day we went the river was high and washed out the swimming hole. There was 0 visibility and I wasn't able to see anything which made it pretty disappointing. I have heard that if you call Diver's Outpost they can provide a visibility report before you head out.

Blue Heron Bridge

The Blue Heron Bridge is one of my most favorite dives for many reasons. It's a shore dive - super easy entry. It's a shallow dive - stays about 15 feet deep. It's free! The amount of sea creatures you can see in just one dive is incredible! Just to name a few we saw octopus, seahorses, sea robins, scorpion fish, eels, frog fish, spotted eagle ray, garden eels, unique crabs, needlefish, squid, horse shoe crabs, flounder, sting rays, nudibranchs, sea cucumbers and much more! During our visit a manta ray and hammerhead were also seen and a couple weeks later, a manatee! Check out this Facebook page for daily updates on visibility and sea life seen. You will definitely want a camera and/or GoPro for this location! You must plan your dive according to the tide and I also HIGHLY recommend doing a night dive here. There are two local dive shops near the bridge that can get you set up with a parking permit for night diving and tour guides if desired. We love Pura Vida Divers and Force E Scuba.

The Florida Keys

It's no secret that the FL Keys has some of the best diving in the state...maybe in the US? They crystal clear blue green water is gorgeous, coral reefs and sea life galore from the tiniest nudibranch to hammerhead sharks and everything in between. There is so much to see here and dives for all levels of experience like shallow reefs to deep wrecks. Finding a good place to stay that doesn't break the bank is the hardest part, once you find that you will need to find a good charter that suits your needs. Things to do and good places to eat are endless. If you couldn't tell I REALLY love the keys. In November of 2021 I dove with Horizon Divers and really enjoyed my experience. The captains and crew were always friendly and knowledgable. This charter does a lot of captains choice so you may not know where you're going until you're on the boat, each place they took us to was amazing though. I have also used Rainbow Reef Dive Center They have many boats and a calendar telling you where they will be diving on what days. I love how organized and informative their website is, that really helps with planning.

Some dive sites in Key Largo are Christ of the Abyss, Elbow Reef, The Spiegel Grove, Banana Patch, The Horseshoe just to name a few. I could go on and on about the Florida Keys but you will just have to experience it for yourself!